So Extra Ordinary is out. I've been excited for this movie for ages, and actually watching it, I really liked it. I liked it so much that I won't actually review it. Or at least not the way I usually do, with the "My Thoughts On" kind of thing with the pros and the cons and the recommendation. See, while I really enjoyed this movie, I actually want to talk about why it's important to Irish film, and why, if you can, you need to support it. I can't see this film getting a big release outside of Ireland, so if you can watch it and more importantly support it, please do. See, the Irish film landscape is.... bad. We don't make too any movies a year, and the ones we do make are generally lacking in variety. Your choices for watching a recent Irish movie are essentially this: a mediocre period piece (The Siege of Jadotville, Black '47) or an awful screen adaptation of a comedy series (Mrs Browne's Boys D'Movie, The Damo and Ivor Movie). Obviously, there's exceptions, like the fantastic Brooklyn or John Carney's incredible Sing Street, but by and large, the standard of movies coming out of this country in the last few years have been fairly substandard. There's a few places that this lack of variety could have come from, but my point is that the Irish film industry is incredibly boring
Extra Ordinary feels like a real antidote to this problem; a comedy horror set in the present day about a lonely driving instructor helping a widower save his teenage daughter from a satanic pact made by a washed-up rock star. It's a bizarre premise, but its weirdness is what makes it so important. Again this isn't a review, so I won't go too into why it is this film works, just that it's sharply written, incredibly charming, and so devoted to the batshit craziness of its plot, ballooning into a bonkers finale. It's one of the best comedy horrors in ages, and while it doesn't feel like a gamechanger in itself, it definitely feels like something that's missing in the Irish film landscape. It's mainstream genre cinema, so far from any other high profile Irish film, and it's fusion of brazen genre craziness and a proud national identity give it such a unique personality that we need to see more of. The big problem I have with modern Irish cinema is that it's too safe. It relies on the things we know, and takes too few risks. We've settled into a cycle of not trying anything new, instead making middle of the road films that deal with familiar subject matter in the most basic way possible. Peter Foot's The Young Offenders was definitely a step in the right direction, but Extra Ordinary is exciting because it takes it that step further. Nothing about this feels safe, and it's a brilliant film because it embraces it's genre roots and unique Irishness. These things that make it brilliant also make it important, and that's why you need to support this movie, because we need to see more like it, films that show that this is a land of diverse stories that span a wide range of genres. Extra Ordinary shows what Irish cinema can be, and it's an exciting image to be sure
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Friday, 27 September 2019
My Thoughts on It: Chapter 2
I have a lot of history with the screen adaptations of It. The 1990 miniseries was the scariest thing I'd ever seen as a kid, and I was in total and utter fear of Pennywise. Of course, when I went back and revisited it, I realised that that version is hilariously awful, and not at all scary (all of the voices that Tim Curry could have used for Pennywise... and that's the one he went with?). By the time the 2017 update of It was announced, I was older, (penny)wiser and a serious horror head, so the thought of an It that could be genuinely scary was a very exciting one indeed, especially when we got those fantastic trailers. And the 2017 It was.... good? Bill Skarsgard's take on Pennywise was certainly fantastic, as were the performances from the kid actors. Everything else wasn't bad, but was far from great. The scares were weak, the plot was fairly standard and the performances, save for the ones I just mentioned, weren't great. So yeah, as a movie, I thought that it was pretty unremarkable. But hey, it's a story of two parts, right? Maybe its just coming into it's own? Maybe it's going to take it's time and tell the story the way it was supposed to be to-
Wait, it's HOW long?
More on the (almost) three hour runtime later, but It: Chapter Two was a film that had an awful lot to do. I mean the first film was just an introduction, a largely fun romp that got the audience acquainted to the world of the story without having to say or do much else. I mean, the first one could get away with just being largely self-contained, apart from the ending, which does a good job of setting up a sequel. This film had to conclude the (now much larger) story, address the origins of Pennywise and be a good movie in its own right. That was always going to be hard to do, especially when this film lacks the element of surprise that made the first one so effective. It 2017 came pretty much out of nowhere and was an effective reimagining because it rewrote everything we knew about this story onscreen. So yeah, there was more pressure on this one, because it now had to provide a satisfying ending to the highest grossing horror movie of all time. Does it do that? Let's find out!
The story this time around is that, 27 years after the first film, Pennywise is up to his old tricks again. This calls for the Loser Club to team up once more and put a stop to him once and for all. This is the kind of film that starts with its casting. So much hinges on whether or not you believe that these people were the kids in the first film, and for the most part, you do. Bill Hader and James Ransone are the two highlights here, not just feeling like organically aged up versions of Finn Wolfhard and Jack Dylan Grazer, but also effortlessly recreating their chemistry, something that comes back in a BIG way in the climax. The others are also pretty good, with Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Isaiah Mustafa and Andy Bean all bringing the adult versions of their characters to life, even if none of them are quite as believable as Ransone and Hader. As for James McAvoy, he's kind of the weakest link. He definitely commits to the more intense scenes (the hall of mirrors in particular), but outside of those, he's weirdly absent. It's odd, as central as Bill is to this story, it never feels like McAvoy is giving 100%, and for the most of the movie, he's just.... there. It's a real shame too, because it feels like his scenes lose so much as a result. A particular example of this is in a bizarre scene in an antiques shop that features a cameo that, although I won't spoil it, is far and away the worst scene in the movie.
Actually, quick tangent: what were they going for in that scene? It's already fairly obvious what role Bill plays in the story, especially if you're familiar with the book, but the way this scene references it is so weird and out of place. It's an awkward moment that only really exists to nod at the audience, and is the oddest possible payoff for the role that he plays in the story. They kind of make the point from the moment you realise he's a writer, so they kind of didn't need to bring it back, especially not in a way that's this.... odd. Okay, tangent over
So yeah, the cast is pretty solid overall, but my god does the plot have some issues.
it's weird, because the individual setpieces themselves are actually great. When the film gets into the swing of things, it's huge amounts of fun. Watching the Losers confront Pennywise one by one is a delight, and the episodic nature of the film's midsection allows It 2 (Itwo? Let's just call it Itwo) to cut loose a little, unleashing wild delights the likes of which you don't often see in a film like this. The scenes that check in on Pennywise and see what he's up to (turns out he's terrorizing the townfolk, who'd have guessed?) are fun as well, playing up the off-kilter creepiness of Skarsgaard's make-up clad madman. So yeah, that part is definitely engaging, but did it have to take so long to get going? The three hour runtime is a huge problem (literally). I'm sorry, but it didn't need to be this long, and if it wasn't for the incredibly entertaining chunk in the middle, this'd be an absolute deal-breaker. The beginning isn't bad or anything, it takes a fair bit of time to heat up but it's not distractingly long. No, no, my problem is in the climax. Much like John Wick 3, Itwo suffers from a visually quite cool but deathly overlong climax. I get what they were going for, but it just drags on, resulting in an action setpiece which isn't scary, or even especially interesting. It has it's moments (one in particular is devastating), but overall, I really, really, REALLY didn't care after a while. The ending is an awkward one, something only emphasised by the length of the third act. No, this movie is at it's best when it's providing horror vignettes that prey on the Losers' darkest fears. Hell, even Pennywise's musical number is freaking awesome. The film isn't able to keep that going though, and runs out of steam in it's home stretch, which sees Pennywise unleash his full powers, to mildly impressive effect. It's not an especially exciting climax, and to be honest, it's kind of a let down, taking everything that made Pennywise so scary and wasting it. Just like the first one, Itwo is at its best when it's small-scale, nearly episodic, focusing on the real fear in the story., and kind of fall apart when they become big blockbuster horror movies. And yeah, yeah, I know that it's the story of the book, and that does get pretty large, but Andy Muschietti just nails the creepiness, and slips up a little when it comes to expanding on that.
It's a shame because he really does create these amazing singular setpieces that just work. These are the scenes that make Itwo worth it, especially when it's clear that Skarsgaard is having an absolute ball. His Pennywise is again a vicious creation, especially this time around, both because he's feeding off the deep-seated adult fears of the grown-up Losers, and because he's pissed, fully intent on making these guys' lives a living hell. That he's able to portray such deep malice and rage while also being a blast to watch is the strange power of Skarsgaard's performance, and it's something that the sequel actually improves on from the first one. This incarnation of Pennywise has rightly become a staple of modern pop culture, almost like the face of this decade of horror films. Not that I think that either of these films are the best horror films of the decade, not even close, but I think that Skarsgaard's Pennywise has floated his way into the pantheon, giving this generation a painted face to add to the horror villain hall-of-fame. And this film definitely honours that. Regardless of how you feel about it, it can't be denied that this film effectively honours the impact that this story has had on modern popular cinema. Hell, I'm completely lukewarm on these movies, and even I find that totally admirable.
This is blockbuster horror, the kind that isn't looking to be properly disturbing or even make you think all that much, instead wanting to wow the audience with flashy setpieces and big moments. On that front, Itwo is a total success, because when it's entertaining, it's incredibly so. There are lots of large scale, memorable moments that have already become iconic, and that's kind of what this movie was going for. It's not scale without substance, because there is a genuine enthusiasm for the story and a devotion from everyone involved to honour it, but the bigger it gets, the more it loses what makes it really work. True, those big, CGI-y moments absolutely wow on a big screen with a large audience, but the movie really works when it skews smaller. My ultimate verdict is that it's fine: pure pop-culture flashiness that has moments of genuine quality but all too often goes for the showy setpiece. Funny thing is, it was never going to be any other way, so I can't really say I was massively disappointed. Itwo is exactly what you think it's going to be, and how much you enjoy it will depend on how much you've put into this story. Even given my history with the various incarnations, It has never been a story that's impressed me too much, so maybe that colours my judgement, but for the people who are into it, this is a good time. Personally though, I'll seek my Stephen King fix elsewhere, because the Doctor Sleep hypetrain is leaving the station very soon....
Wait, it's HOW long?
More on the (almost) three hour runtime later, but It: Chapter Two was a film that had an awful lot to do. I mean the first film was just an introduction, a largely fun romp that got the audience acquainted to the world of the story without having to say or do much else. I mean, the first one could get away with just being largely self-contained, apart from the ending, which does a good job of setting up a sequel. This film had to conclude the (now much larger) story, address the origins of Pennywise and be a good movie in its own right. That was always going to be hard to do, especially when this film lacks the element of surprise that made the first one so effective. It 2017 came pretty much out of nowhere and was an effective reimagining because it rewrote everything we knew about this story onscreen. So yeah, there was more pressure on this one, because it now had to provide a satisfying ending to the highest grossing horror movie of all time. Does it do that? Let's find out!
The story this time around is that, 27 years after the first film, Pennywise is up to his old tricks again. This calls for the Loser Club to team up once more and put a stop to him once and for all. This is the kind of film that starts with its casting. So much hinges on whether or not you believe that these people were the kids in the first film, and for the most part, you do. Bill Hader and James Ransone are the two highlights here, not just feeling like organically aged up versions of Finn Wolfhard and Jack Dylan Grazer, but also effortlessly recreating their chemistry, something that comes back in a BIG way in the climax. The others are also pretty good, with Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Isaiah Mustafa and Andy Bean all bringing the adult versions of their characters to life, even if none of them are quite as believable as Ransone and Hader. As for James McAvoy, he's kind of the weakest link. He definitely commits to the more intense scenes (the hall of mirrors in particular), but outside of those, he's weirdly absent. It's odd, as central as Bill is to this story, it never feels like McAvoy is giving 100%, and for the most of the movie, he's just.... there. It's a real shame too, because it feels like his scenes lose so much as a result. A particular example of this is in a bizarre scene in an antiques shop that features a cameo that, although I won't spoil it, is far and away the worst scene in the movie.
Actually, quick tangent: what were they going for in that scene? It's already fairly obvious what role Bill plays in the story, especially if you're familiar with the book, but the way this scene references it is so weird and out of place. It's an awkward moment that only really exists to nod at the audience, and is the oddest possible payoff for the role that he plays in the story. They kind of make the point from the moment you realise he's a writer, so they kind of didn't need to bring it back, especially not in a way that's this.... odd. Okay, tangent over
So yeah, the cast is pretty solid overall, but my god does the plot have some issues.
it's weird, because the individual setpieces themselves are actually great. When the film gets into the swing of things, it's huge amounts of fun. Watching the Losers confront Pennywise one by one is a delight, and the episodic nature of the film's midsection allows It 2 (Itwo? Let's just call it Itwo) to cut loose a little, unleashing wild delights the likes of which you don't often see in a film like this. The scenes that check in on Pennywise and see what he's up to (turns out he's terrorizing the townfolk, who'd have guessed?) are fun as well, playing up the off-kilter creepiness of Skarsgaard's make-up clad madman. So yeah, that part is definitely engaging, but did it have to take so long to get going? The three hour runtime is a huge problem (literally). I'm sorry, but it didn't need to be this long, and if it wasn't for the incredibly entertaining chunk in the middle, this'd be an absolute deal-breaker. The beginning isn't bad or anything, it takes a fair bit of time to heat up but it's not distractingly long. No, no, my problem is in the climax. Much like John Wick 3, Itwo suffers from a visually quite cool but deathly overlong climax. I get what they were going for, but it just drags on, resulting in an action setpiece which isn't scary, or even especially interesting. It has it's moments (one in particular is devastating), but overall, I really, really, REALLY didn't care after a while. The ending is an awkward one, something only emphasised by the length of the third act. No, this movie is at it's best when it's providing horror vignettes that prey on the Losers' darkest fears. Hell, even Pennywise's musical number is freaking awesome. The film isn't able to keep that going though, and runs out of steam in it's home stretch, which sees Pennywise unleash his full powers, to mildly impressive effect. It's not an especially exciting climax, and to be honest, it's kind of a let down, taking everything that made Pennywise so scary and wasting it. Just like the first one, Itwo is at its best when it's small-scale, nearly episodic, focusing on the real fear in the story., and kind of fall apart when they become big blockbuster horror movies. And yeah, yeah, I know that it's the story of the book, and that does get pretty large, but Andy Muschietti just nails the creepiness, and slips up a little when it comes to expanding on that.
It's a shame because he really does create these amazing singular setpieces that just work. These are the scenes that make Itwo worth it, especially when it's clear that Skarsgaard is having an absolute ball. His Pennywise is again a vicious creation, especially this time around, both because he's feeding off the deep-seated adult fears of the grown-up Losers, and because he's pissed, fully intent on making these guys' lives a living hell. That he's able to portray such deep malice and rage while also being a blast to watch is the strange power of Skarsgaard's performance, and it's something that the sequel actually improves on from the first one. This incarnation of Pennywise has rightly become a staple of modern pop culture, almost like the face of this decade of horror films. Not that I think that either of these films are the best horror films of the decade, not even close, but I think that Skarsgaard's Pennywise has floated his way into the pantheon, giving this generation a painted face to add to the horror villain hall-of-fame. And this film definitely honours that. Regardless of how you feel about it, it can't be denied that this film effectively honours the impact that this story has had on modern popular cinema. Hell, I'm completely lukewarm on these movies, and even I find that totally admirable.
This is blockbuster horror, the kind that isn't looking to be properly disturbing or even make you think all that much, instead wanting to wow the audience with flashy setpieces and big moments. On that front, Itwo is a total success, because when it's entertaining, it's incredibly so. There are lots of large scale, memorable moments that have already become iconic, and that's kind of what this movie was going for. It's not scale without substance, because there is a genuine enthusiasm for the story and a devotion from everyone involved to honour it, but the bigger it gets, the more it loses what makes it really work. True, those big, CGI-y moments absolutely wow on a big screen with a large audience, but the movie really works when it skews smaller. My ultimate verdict is that it's fine: pure pop-culture flashiness that has moments of genuine quality but all too often goes for the showy setpiece. Funny thing is, it was never going to be any other way, so I can't really say I was massively disappointed. Itwo is exactly what you think it's going to be, and how much you enjoy it will depend on how much you've put into this story. Even given my history with the various incarnations, It has never been a story that's impressed me too much, so maybe that colours my judgement, but for the people who are into it, this is a good time. Personally though, I'll seek my Stephen King fix elsewhere, because the Doctor Sleep hypetrain is leaving the station very soon....
Saturday, 14 September 2019
My Thoughts on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
So the spooky season is finally upon us once more. The leaves are falling off of the trees, an ominous breeze blows through the progressively cooler streets, and the cinemas are jam packed with horror movies. This is, it should go without saying, a cracking time to be a movie fan. After all, horror is a damn fun genre, regardless of the film's actual quality. The cool thing about this season is that if a film can evoke a spooky mood or atmosphere, then it kind of enhances the whole experience, and makes any flaws largely forgivable. Flawed horror films can be so damn fun, moreso than in any other genre. Yes my friends, it's Autumn again, the season of film festivals, awards contenders, and fun as hell horror movies, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark heralds us in nicely. This is an ideal pre-Halloween movie. It nails the late Autumn atmosphere, with enough scares to make it fine viewing for Halloween prep. This is undoubtedly the best thing about Scary Stories, which, overall, has too many issues for me to call it an actually good movie. At it's best, it's a damn fun time, an anthology horror based on a series of books that I haven't read, nor was very familiar with before I saw it. Going into this blind, I found myself pretty pleasantly surprised with it, so let's dive in. The year is 1968, and it's Halloween in the sleepy town of Mill Valley. A group of kids stumble upon a mysterious book written years ago by Sarah Bellows, a figure of much myth and legend in the town. Upon reading this book, the kids find themselves becoming part of the grotesque stories within the pages, being taken out one by one by the things they fear most.
So far, so Stranger Things, but Scary Stories actually utilises that kind of throwback horror in a really fun way. It establishes itself as a pure love letter to the Halloween season from the start, with the leadup to the horror immediately setting a really strong atmosphere. And if the opening introduces the film's greatest strength (the look and feel of late October), then it also sets up its greatest weakness just as quickly. The film's writing was never going to be it's strong suit, but the script here is seriously poor: hokey at best and a complete mess at it's worst. The characters are archetypes, thinly written caricatures that I'm not actually sure if we're supposed to care about. I mean I get that the first characters to die in a movie like this are never going to be particularly well developed, but there wasn't a single character in this that I really cared about, even towards the end. Nobody here is that interesting, or sympathetic, and it doesn't help that the dialogue is clunky and unnatural, and definitely not what real people would actually say. It can definitely be argued that that was the point, that it tries to capture the same endearingly schlocky mood that Creepshow did, and sometimes it almost does, but the actual storytelling lets the film down time and time again, and it's only marred by that dialogue. The characters here make some weird decisions, and the scares are telegraphed way too much, to the point where it kind of took me out of the experience. The hospital scene especially suffers from this, with one character repeatedly setting up the ensuing scares, and then making some nonsensically bad decisions that feel more questionable than legitimately scary.
Even so, the scares themselves are actually a riot. When the stories come to life, the film really begins to have fun with itself, and is genuinely quite fun. The scarecrow scene is an early highlight, with other standout shockers being the toe stew and the absolute joy that is the Jangly Man. This guy is a real treat, balancing genuine fear with a delirious silliness that makes every scene he's in an absolute blast that's also really freaking creepy. If the other stories never quite reach these heights, then they can't be faulted for trying. The red spot is decent body horror, and the scene in the hospital just about overcomes it's clunkiness with some creatively disturbing imagery. When it's scary, it's the fun kind of scary. Think Creepshow, and Poltergeist, and Gremlins. It's not hardcore horror by any means, but it was never trying to be. Instead, it relishes in it's PG-13 horror delights, with some (usually) well placed jumpscares that fit well into the strong, haunted house kind of vibe. It's definitely imagery over ideas, and I think it's a good gateway horror for people who want to get into the genre, and aren't quite ready for anything too hardcore. Its nothing too heavy, with most of the spooks being in good fun, and it's so earnest in it's horror that it's hard not to have a good time.
Less fun is the social commentary, which, not for lack of trying, doesn't always work. The film is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, which is always just.... kind of there. Even when it does start to tie into one character's plot, it still never justified in why it's there. No spoilers for the film's ending, but the way in which Vietnam is integrated is so incredibly basic, and never actually says anything interesting about the horror of war or it's effects, which is disappointing because of Guillermo del Toro's involvement. Considering commentary-laced horror is kind of his thing, it's a real shame that Scary Stories just kind of glosses over the social and political context of it's setting, with any attempt to address it being pretty ineffective and uninteresting. Unfortunately, this is a film where the fun factor definitely outweighs any juicy thematic content, which, given just how enjoyable this film's scares are, isn't that bad, but it still feels like it scratches the surface of something that's more interesting than what we ended up with.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is very much a popcorn horror. Yeah, it has its fair share of issues, but when it's fun, it's an absolute blast, with scares that revel in equal amounts of silliness and creepiness. Hell, it even makes its jumpscares work, timing them well and pairing them with a legitimately spooky atmosphere. Okay the writing is heavy handed, the commentary is misplaced and the characters are blander than plain rice, but if you can look past all of that, there's a good time to be had here. This is not a game changing horror, hell, it's not even that scary, but it's clearly made by people who acknowledge the fun side of the genre, and the fact that that aspect of the film is so well done makes it less of a shame when the rest of the film isn't quite on that level. Is it a good film? Maybe? There's definitely good stuff here, but the issues with the plot and the writing are kind of hard to look past, and looking at it objectively, it's definitely not the best thing ever. But it's harmless fun, a Creepshow-lite that is really only there for a cheeky scare. In many ways, it captures the spirit of the Halloween season, embracing the fact that this is a time for cheeky fun rather than hardcore horror. Look at it like that and it's a delightfully spooky romp that's destined to be viewed on countless October 31sts. If you're looking for anything deeper than that, you'd be better off looking elsewhere, because for all of the fun, there's little substance. Still, if you're in the mood for some spooky fun, it's well worth a look into Sarah Bellows' book
So far, so Stranger Things, but Scary Stories actually utilises that kind of throwback horror in a really fun way. It establishes itself as a pure love letter to the Halloween season from the start, with the leadup to the horror immediately setting a really strong atmosphere. And if the opening introduces the film's greatest strength (the look and feel of late October), then it also sets up its greatest weakness just as quickly. The film's writing was never going to be it's strong suit, but the script here is seriously poor: hokey at best and a complete mess at it's worst. The characters are archetypes, thinly written caricatures that I'm not actually sure if we're supposed to care about. I mean I get that the first characters to die in a movie like this are never going to be particularly well developed, but there wasn't a single character in this that I really cared about, even towards the end. Nobody here is that interesting, or sympathetic, and it doesn't help that the dialogue is clunky and unnatural, and definitely not what real people would actually say. It can definitely be argued that that was the point, that it tries to capture the same endearingly schlocky mood that Creepshow did, and sometimes it almost does, but the actual storytelling lets the film down time and time again, and it's only marred by that dialogue. The characters here make some weird decisions, and the scares are telegraphed way too much, to the point where it kind of took me out of the experience. The hospital scene especially suffers from this, with one character repeatedly setting up the ensuing scares, and then making some nonsensically bad decisions that feel more questionable than legitimately scary.
Even so, the scares themselves are actually a riot. When the stories come to life, the film really begins to have fun with itself, and is genuinely quite fun. The scarecrow scene is an early highlight, with other standout shockers being the toe stew and the absolute joy that is the Jangly Man. This guy is a real treat, balancing genuine fear with a delirious silliness that makes every scene he's in an absolute blast that's also really freaking creepy. If the other stories never quite reach these heights, then they can't be faulted for trying. The red spot is decent body horror, and the scene in the hospital just about overcomes it's clunkiness with some creatively disturbing imagery. When it's scary, it's the fun kind of scary. Think Creepshow, and Poltergeist, and Gremlins. It's not hardcore horror by any means, but it was never trying to be. Instead, it relishes in it's PG-13 horror delights, with some (usually) well placed jumpscares that fit well into the strong, haunted house kind of vibe. It's definitely imagery over ideas, and I think it's a good gateway horror for people who want to get into the genre, and aren't quite ready for anything too hardcore. Its nothing too heavy, with most of the spooks being in good fun, and it's so earnest in it's horror that it's hard not to have a good time.
Less fun is the social commentary, which, not for lack of trying, doesn't always work. The film is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, which is always just.... kind of there. Even when it does start to tie into one character's plot, it still never justified in why it's there. No spoilers for the film's ending, but the way in which Vietnam is integrated is so incredibly basic, and never actually says anything interesting about the horror of war or it's effects, which is disappointing because of Guillermo del Toro's involvement. Considering commentary-laced horror is kind of his thing, it's a real shame that Scary Stories just kind of glosses over the social and political context of it's setting, with any attempt to address it being pretty ineffective and uninteresting. Unfortunately, this is a film where the fun factor definitely outweighs any juicy thematic content, which, given just how enjoyable this film's scares are, isn't that bad, but it still feels like it scratches the surface of something that's more interesting than what we ended up with.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is very much a popcorn horror. Yeah, it has its fair share of issues, but when it's fun, it's an absolute blast, with scares that revel in equal amounts of silliness and creepiness. Hell, it even makes its jumpscares work, timing them well and pairing them with a legitimately spooky atmosphere. Okay the writing is heavy handed, the commentary is misplaced and the characters are blander than plain rice, but if you can look past all of that, there's a good time to be had here. This is not a game changing horror, hell, it's not even that scary, but it's clearly made by people who acknowledge the fun side of the genre, and the fact that that aspect of the film is so well done makes it less of a shame when the rest of the film isn't quite on that level. Is it a good film? Maybe? There's definitely good stuff here, but the issues with the plot and the writing are kind of hard to look past, and looking at it objectively, it's definitely not the best thing ever. But it's harmless fun, a Creepshow-lite that is really only there for a cheeky scare. In many ways, it captures the spirit of the Halloween season, embracing the fact that this is a time for cheeky fun rather than hardcore horror. Look at it like that and it's a delightfully spooky romp that's destined to be viewed on countless October 31sts. If you're looking for anything deeper than that, you'd be better off looking elsewhere, because for all of the fun, there's little substance. Still, if you're in the mood for some spooky fun, it's well worth a look into Sarah Bellows' book
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